Stephen FearingYellowjacket

Recorded by Scott Merritt at The Cottage in Guelph, ON, Fearings latest folk foray is yet another masterpiece of intelligent songwriting. Fellow Blackie and the Rodeo Kings carouser and blues guitar-slinger extraordinaire Colin Linden aids some delicate Dobro on "The Man Who Married Music, a touching tribute to Fearings love and her commitment to putting up with his other "wife  music. With some soulful backing vocals by Linden, Fearing paints a portrait of the balancing act of these two loves. The disc opens with Fearings other partner-in-song Tom Wilson co-writing the title track. This song is a metaphor for the flight of the bee as the journey of the musician and captures this songwriting saga in a poetic way that Fearing has a flair for doing. With keyboard wizard Richard Bell helping guide Fearings muse on "One Flat Tire, the songwriter pays homage to Bernie Finkelstein, recalling that chilling moment when the True North Records founder found himself in hospital following heart problems: "Bernie went to hospital, he said there wasnt much pain/But I couldnt sleep that night in case he didnt wake again. Overall, Yellowjacket is a reflective disc filled with Fearings feelings of friends and confidantes.
(True North)